Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-09-16
ny WARD II. LAMON.
,Copy,irh,cd 1897 by Ward II. LamonJ

ever had larger stock OF that healing balm,
or knew better how TO use it. Wit with
that illustlious man, was a jewel whose
mirth- flashes he could no more re
press than the diamond can eXtinguish its
own brilliancy. In no sense was he vain of
his superb equipment rs wit and storY-tel-
YER, and no man was reader than he to ac-
knowledge the force of Shaiespearc's ia
,u0us lines.
"A iest'> prosperity lies in the ear
of him that trnr. il: never in the tongue
Ofhim that makes it,
His stories were generally told with a
well defined purposp-to cheer the dropping
spirits of friend. to tighten the weight of
mis- own melancholy. melancholy that was
constitutional and which was like a CHASTITY
burden all his days; to clinch an argument,
20 expose fallacy, or diSarm an antagonist.
lie believed with the great Ulysses of Old
chat there is naught so tedious as a twice
told tale;' and during my long and intimate
acquaintance with Mr.. Lincoln | seldom
heard him relate a story the second time.
2he most triiling circumstances, or even a
rord, was enough to remind him of a story
whose aptneSs no one could fail to see. The
following will serve to illustrate this phase
Of his character.
He cared little about high flown words
fine phrases, or merely ornamental dction;
and yet, for one wholly without scholastic
raining, he was master of style which
,r9s remarkable for purity tersencsS vigor
and force As Antenor said of the Greciau
ling. she spoke no more than Just the thing
DE thought" and that thought he clothed
lh the simplest -alb often sacrificing the
elegant and poetical for the homoiy ami pro
s.'r in the structure of his sentences.
IN one OF his messages to Congress he used
the term sugar. coated. When the doc
ument was placed in the hands of the public
printer. Hon. John u. Defree,' that officer
Wis terribly shocked and offended. He
was an accomplished scholar, a man of fa,-
iiious taste. but n devoted friend of the
president with whom he wa, on terms of
great intimacy. 1t would never do to leave
lhe forbidden term in the message; it must
be eXpunged: otherwise it would forever
remain a runous blot on the fair fame of
ne president.
IN great distress, and modification the
good De'rce, hurried away to the White
House where he told Nj Lincoln plainly
that "sugnr-coatcd" was not in good taste
10 Eou ought to remember, Mr.. President,
sand he, THAT IA message to the Congress of
the United States is quite a different thing
from a speech before mass meeting in
Illinois that such messages become Il part
Of the history of the country, and they
should be written with scrupulous cara and
prolriety Such an expression in a state
paper is uudignitied, and if were you !
would alter the structure of the whole sen
teare."
Sir. Lincoln laughed and then said with
a c1mical show oi'gravitv "John. that term
81. I
90 AZ to change it. Sugar coated must
s-.udri
Thi, reminds me. continued Mr. Lincoln.
70, %. story told about j, Fennimore Cooper,
Oh, distinguished novelist" and he proceed
a.. in a style of inimitable drolery,t to relate
Go. following: 'While in London, sometime
Turing thr reign Of George ~, and while
General jackson was president Of the United
States, Mr., Cooper was frequently subjected
no annoyance and humiliation by the ribald
ic.rs and vulgar criticisms employed by the
NOBILITY especially in referring to what they
were pleased to call 1.-THE coarse provincial
~.ls habtual with the American people"
hlr. Cooper was peculiarly sensitive TO this
sort Of criticism. lie was as ready to de
...ll the people Of his nationality against
charges Of improperly in their speech as he
N', TO maintain the dignity, honor virtue
and intelligence of his abused countrymen.
he had suffered the taInts and ieers of mi
lords until their in,oicnce became unbear-
lilc.'
On one occasion, when Mr.. Cooper was
resent, young 7prig of nobility was relat-
his experience in America. He spoke
lardly ,mction of the shocking want of
i s'e, which he had observed. we
kav, among Our people He said that
49, u in the United States, Just after the
81. ion of General jackson, he was a visitor
1t le Hermitage, where the new president
Introduced him to Mrs. Jackson. That lady
H,- suffering with & severe cold which
.i'.-ed her to cough necessarily. Milford
rcndered his sympathy, bewailed her mis-
.ortUne and expressed, in the most APP
proved style of gallantry, his hope for her
slo.,v recovery, when she replied: THE
giu Il kicked the kver Off me last night,
au. hats what's the matter. 1t won't last
|oug.' This caused laugh all round; in
FAC, it brought down the house -
Mr.. Cooper saw his opportunity. Gen
ilcmcn, said he, there is a difference,
grant, between our republican, simplicity
ard the forms of politeness that prevail in
avis kingdom. 1t is one of the rights inner
ont in our republcanism to kick the blan
OFT the conjugal bed, Mother jackson
s. have been unfortunate in choosing &
ri not pleasing TO your cultured ears
4 you will observe, gentlemen, that i
her own husband who kicked the kiver
her, | have noticed and you will Sc,
0y reading the libel for n divorce filed by
his majesty, your king, against his wife
Queen Caroline, that he charges, i'm Ian
guage not at all courtly that the 'kiver
IL.